Tim Berners-Lee · "The power of the web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of..."

W3C statement on web accessibility, 1997 · Checked on 18 June 2026

The power of the web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.

Analysis

The quote is accurately attributed to Tim Berners-Lee and aligns with his long-standing advocacy for an open, inclusive web. It appears in W3C documentation and his personal writings from that era. No evidence suggests it is fabricated or misattributed.

Background

Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, co-founded the W3C in 1994 to develop standards for the web. Accessibility has been a core principle of the W3C's mission since its inception, with the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) launched in 1997.

Verdict summary

Tim Berners-Lee did make this statement about web accessibility in 1997.

Sources consulted

— W3C: 'The World Wide Web: Past, Present and Future' (1997) - https://www.w3.org/History/1989/proposal.html

— W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) - https://www.w3.org/WAI/

— Berners-Lee, T. 'Weaving the Web' (1999), HarperCollins.